Cold season is upon us, and with that, the season during which, for some of us, our stuffy noses will render the sound of the letter M completely indistinguishable from the sound of the letter B for several months. We're told to blame it on our lax attitudes toward personal nutrition, our bodies' crappy immune systems, and any and all children (in addition to blaming it on both the rain and the alcohol). But did you know that your mucus-enhanced nasal cavities might be blamed on the city you call home?

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MSNBC reports that the results of a survey conducted by Sperling's BestPlaces and our nasally-helpful friends at Breathe Right nasal strips have been released, and if you live in Oklahoma City, Birmingham, AL, or New Orleans, the mystery of why you're always congested may finally be solved. Those three lovely places topped the list of "America's Most Congested Cities."

The researchers took several factors into consideration in calculating the results of this vitally important study. Among them: pollen count, purchase habits of congestion products, smoking, and air pollution.

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Congested people are more likely to do other things besides blow their noses excessively — according to researchers, congestion often leads people to mouth-breathe and snore. One can assume that they also sometimes chew with their mouth open, which is one of about a thousand reasons why you should never go to a sushi restaurant in Oklahoma City.